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Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.

Pelmeni Recipe

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: pelmeni
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 20 pelmeni
Calories: 113kcal
Author: Victor
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Ingredients

For the dough

  • 350 g bread flour
  • 120 g water
  • 6 g kosher salt
  • 1 egg

For the meat filling

  • 200 g pork butt ground on a medium plate
  • 200 g beef chuck ground on medium plate
  • 25 g pork fat trimmed from pork butt, ground on medium plate
  • 2 small yellow onions each about 100 g or 3.5 ounces, ground or finely chopped
  • 6 g kosher salt I like using pink Himalayan salt, it tastes great
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • To prepare the dough, sift the flour into a bowl. They say that sifting the flour makes for better pelmeni dough. Make a hole in the center of the flour. Pour the salted water and a slightly beaten egg. Mix until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will be quite stiff. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook will make the job very easy though. As the dough is stiff, watch your mixer very closely. If your mixer isn't powerful enough and struggles, it's better to finish by hand.
  • Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes or longer. I like to refrigerate my pelmeni dough for 2-3 hours before using it.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the meat filling by combining the beef and pork meat, fat, onions, salt and pepper.
  • Roll the dough out about 2 mm thick, #4 on the Kitchen Aid pasta roller attachment. Cut into 3-3.5" circles.
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Fill each circle with 16 g of meat filling (1 heaping Tbsp).
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Fold the circle in half and crimp well. 
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Bring the ends together and crimp. 
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Set aside. It's best to refrigerate or freeze finished pelmeni before you are ready to boil them.
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Alternatively, use a pelmeni mold.
    Pelmeni, or meat dumplings, is a traditional Russian dish that is know all over the world. Here is how you can make the best traditional pelmeni at home.
  • Bring water to rolling boil in a large pot over high heat. Drop pelmeni into boiling water. Wait till it starts to boil again, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 8 minutes or a little longer for softer dough. The total time from dropping into water to removing is about 16 minutes.
  • Remove from the water, drain and gently toss with a little bit of butter to prevent sticking. Serve immediately with sour cream, chopped fresh dill and a saucer filled with vinegar. Yes, pelmeni are fantastic with sour cream and a little bit of vinegar. I love using malt vinegar for pelmeni.

Notes

You may freeze pelmeni for up to 3 months. When cooking frozen, pelmeni do not need to be defrosted. The cooking process is the same as described in the recipe, you just need to cook them 5-8 minutes longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.5mg